This is not a bread recipe, though, like any other. It’s really a modified pão de queijo recipe, made of just tapioca starch/flour, eggs, milk, cheese and oil.

It doesn’t handle like any of our new gluten free bread recipes, and it’s not meant to. It really must be made in a food processor, and when you handle the dough itself, a light touch really is important.

You’re not kneading in the traditional sense. You’re just coaxing it into a roll shape. The oven does the rest. The result is a simple but lovely cheesy roll with a really nice chew and a slightly crispy crust.

Along the way, I’ve made these breads so many times that I’ve modified this original recipe and the method a bit, both to simplify the process and to handle the issues that sometimes come up.

Here are a few recipe notes that will ensure your success:

The original method included simmering the milk, like you do in pão de queijo. But I tested the recipe many times without simmering the milk and just changing the ingredient proportions a bit, and it worked really well. Now, all you have to do is put all of the ingredients in the food processor in the order listed, and turn it on. Much simpler!

The quality of tapioca starch/flour you use matters a lot. I can only recommend tapioca starch/flour from nuts.com, Authentic Foods and Vitacost.com. Bob’s Red Mill tapioca starch/flour is of very inconsistent quality and I recommend against it.

The tapioca starch/flour sold in bulk in Asian food stores is also very inconsistent and frequently contaminated with other ingredients, sometimes gluten-containing ones. I also recommend against using that.

If you have issues with your food processor stalling during preparation, it is likely that the tapioca flour has clumped at the bottom of the bowl and the blade has become stuck.

Opening the top and stirring the dough to loosen it will get it working again. You may have to repeat the process a few times.

Temperature matters. Right after preparation, the dough will be relatively loose and very sticky. Chilling it will allow you to divide it into portions.

Chilling the dough again after shaping and before baking will keep the rolls from spreading out, instead of rising up, during baking.

Depending upon the time of year and your climate, you may need less milk than the full amount called for. So add it slowly!

Like this recipe?

Sample rating item

Prep time:15 minutesCook time:>25 minutesYield:6 rolls

Ingredients

7/8 cup (7 fluid ounces) milk

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 tablespoons (42 g) canola oil

2 eggs (100 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten

2 1/2 cups (300 g) tapioca starch/flour, plus more for sprinkling

5 ounces low moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper and set it aside.

Place all of the ingredients in the order listed in the recipe in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Open the machine, stir to loosen the dough a bit, then turn the machine on and allow it to work until the dough is smooth (2 to 3 minutes). If your machine stops working at any point, open the top, stir the dough to loosen it, replace the cover and turn the machine back on. If the mixture seems to thin, continue to allow the machine to work and it will thicken as it emulsifies. The dough will be very sticky.

Sprinkle some tapioca flour on a large piece of plastic wrap, and scrape the dough onto it. Close the plastic wrap and transfer the dough to a flat surface (like a dinner plate or small cutting board), and place it in the freezer until the dough has become much more firm (about 10 minutes). It will not freeze solid.

Remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap the plastic. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts with a bench scraper. With wet hands, gently shape each piece into a round and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Smooth each into a disk, and place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from the freezer and place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes, and then open the oven and, working quickly, slice a small hole in the top of each roll to allow steam to escape. Close the oven door and continue to bake until lightly golden brown all over (another 5 to 10 minutes).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool briefly before serving. Allow any leftover rolls to cool completely before slicing in half, then wrapping them tightly and freezing. Defrost at room temperature for 30 minutes before toasting and serving, or defrost in the microwave and serve warm.

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Have you ever tried with egg free recipes? I am allergic to grass grains, eggs AND dairy. Almond milk tends to work beautifully…but eggs…ugh….so hard to find a decent replacement. Chia seeds work … sorta for many recipes…but not all.

JK

January 22, 2016 at 8:42 PM

I have some tips for others who are having trouble with flat rolls. It took me about 4 tries, but I was finally able to get this recipe working, and it’s amazing! The first time, the ‘rolls’ came out pancake-flat. The second time, taking great pains to follow the recipe exactly (and using the recommended tapioca flour), I froze for an hour each time, and the results were only marginally better.

The third and fourth times, I tried adding the liquid a tiny little bit at a time, and ended up using only 5 oz or so of milk, instead of the recommended 7oz. The dough was firmer (though still sticky), and looked much more like the pictures. From what I remember in the first couple runs, the dough can very quickly go from normal bread-dough consistency to cake batter within a tablespoon of liquid. It may be that my mozzarella has less moisture than most, but this worked well for me.

In addition, I added a Tbsp or so of baking powder (though not sure if that made any difference at all) and baking for 5-10 mins longer than recommended. The dough rose perfectly, and the inside texture was less gummy (which pão de queijo tends to be). And, for some reason, they tasted even better after being in the freezer for a few nights!

It took a little fiddling with the liquid proportions, but the rolls ended up exactly like the Against the Grain rolls (which my wife and I love!) and next time I’m going to try adding some jalapeños or other seasoning.

Fantastic recipe. Thanks, Nicole!

Jackie Sue

December 10, 2015 at 2:02 PM

Such a bummer that this is not a fail safe recipe. I’ve read through all the comments, followed directions and ingredient recommendations to a T, weighed and re-weighed to no avail. I too ended up putting them in a muffin tin. While they did puff beautifully, the inside is rather gummy… so disappointed but not ready to give up. Perhaps I’ll have to do a few experiments of my own. One question though, when you first finish the dough (before the first freezing) would you say the consistency is like a thick pancake batter? or pehaps your’s is already thicker at that point…

ljallasia

November 24, 2015 at 8:47 PM

Help! I absolutely love your recipes. However when I tried this one today – ugh! Everything seemed to match up to your pictures until baking. The taste was, well just ok.Although I weighed out the cheese, it was very dense and chewy inside. As you can see, it looked more like a flatbread! :-) Any idea where I went wrong?

ljallasia

November 24, 2015 at 8:49 PM

Here’s the picture

Marisa

November 29, 2015 at 4:53 PM

I just tried this recipe for the first time and mine did the exact same thing. Very disappointing, but I will try one more time as these are my favorite rolls. In my case I think my liquids/fats were off as I tried to use a combination of heavy cream/water to substitute for the milk. Next time I will try following the recipe to a T and freezing longer.

ljallasia

November 30, 2015 at 9:43 PM

I would really like to hear what happens when you give it another try! The picture looks fabulous & delicious! I followed the recipe very carefully, checking several times that there wasn’t any yeast, and still ended up with a failure.

JK

January 22, 2016 at 8:33 PM

Hi Marisa — I recently found this recipe and have tried 4 times in the span of a week just trying to get it right. The first time turned out exactly as yours did, and the second time (same ingredients/proportions, freezing for an hour each time) turned out only slightly better. For me, the key was to add slightly less liquid — something around 5oz total. The dough is much thicker, but holds its shape a lot better. I also baked for 5-10 minutes longer than the recipe called for. It may be that the mozzarella I use has less moisture than most, but this worked wonders for me. An extra ounce of liquid seems to be all the difference between a moderately firm dough and loose cake batter. Maybe worth a shot for you?

Tyla Smith

October 13, 2015 at 6:56 PM

Hi! I love your recipes and so I gave this one a try too since I usually buy these rolls. I don’t have a food processor so I used my ninja instead. I used cheddar instead of mozzarella and because we don’t do dairy I used cashew milk instead of regular milk. All the other ingredients were the same. I blended the dough for over ten minutes and it still didn’t get any thicker than a cake batter (yes, I used the brand of tapioca flour you recommended). I tried to freeze it thinking maybe that would do the trick but to no avail. It didn’t get thicker and just ended up freezing the edges. I ended up pouring the batter into muffin tins. They refused to get brown in the tops even though I kept increasing the bake time. I eventually brushed them with butter and turned the oven on broil for two minutes and that did the trick. Once they were brown I popped them out of the muffin tin and let them cool a little. My boys and I sampled one and the flavor was really good and they are nice and fluffy with a slight texture of the Brazilian cheese buns. My youngest said they taste like goldfish crackers. Any suggestions on improving the recipe?? I will make it again but if the consistency is the same I think I will go get the extra large muffin tins so they can be hamburger size instead of slider size!

Dara

September 13, 2015 at 6:55 PM

First of all, we LOVE this website. Just received a few of your books from amazon and have been reading, marking, cooking quite happily. I can’t tell you how this site brings a smile to my 12 year old daughter’s face. As a kid with celiac I have always told her, “we will find a substitute”…little did I know they were all here. Ok, I tried making these rolls twice today. Neither went well but I will persevere. This is the first time one of your recipes did not come out picture perfect for me. So, I know it is something that I did…just not sure what. My dough (if you can call it that) was way too runny. I decided to just keep the food processor running on my second attempt. Ended up running it for over 10 minutes and kept the dough in the freezer for about 25 minutes. I was hopeful with the second batch since they had a little height to them, but once they went in the oven, they immediately spread out into pancakes (or rather one giant connected pancake) and never puffed up. Truthfully my kids and husband still ate all of them and LOVED the taste but I was hoping for a roll. I used Authentic Foods Tapioca Flour which seems like the right thing to use. Hoping someone can give me advice. I am tempted to try again but I’m not sure what I would change before giving it another go.

Judy

August 23, 2015 at 3:19 PM

Hi Nicole, My husband refuses to eat GF bread, so by the time I’m through half a loaf, it’s time for the bin. I needed something that would make a good sandwich but in small quantities. The first attempt at this recipe was rather a disaster, the batter wasn’t of a consistency I could work with and adding more flour resulted in the density of a hockey puck. I was thumbing through an America’s Test Kitchen book and found something mildly similar, then the lightbulb came on, so to speak. I used the exact measures in your recipe but used a blender instead, and then poured the batter directly into a greased “muffin top” pan. 375 for 25 minutes and I have the most scrumptious sandwich buns ever. Or hamburger buns. I’m thinking of looking for one of those “baguette” type loaf pans and using them for hot dog buns as well! Judy

I was just looking at your post for the sneak peek of your book and the pictures look great! I’m sure that this will be a great selling point for you. I would have left this comment on that post but the comment thread was already closed. :(

I’m currently working on writing my own GF cookbook and I was wondering if there was any advise you might be able to give me (e.g. was there any surprises (good or bad) during the publishing/write/marketing/etc process)?

Hi Nicole, Thanks for this post, these rolls look classic. I am wondering on thing though: how well do they keep?

maryRRR3

July 21, 2015 at 10:43 AM

Nicole, Thank you, thank you, thank you, for this copycat recipe for Against the Grain bread. I immediately went down to my local B&N and bought the “Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread” book because I couldn’t wait for it to ship. Now my dilemma: I have totally moved away from Canola and Corn oils. What would be the best substitute for the 3T of Canola in the Against the Grain rolls/baguette? I could borrow from a neighbor, but I’d really like to make these over and over again, so Canola would inch its way back into my kitchen. I am trying to stick to Ghee, Coconut, Olive, Avocado (spariingly), Palm (sustainably harvested) and Butter. Any advice? Kind regards, Mary

Hi, Mary, You can definitely replace the canola oil with absolutely any neutral oil, like grapeseed or peanut, that is liquid at room temperature. Liquid coconut oil would work, too. Thanks for picking up a copy of Bakes Bread!

Heather Overmyer

July 15, 2015 at 1:14 PM

What is the amount of carbs? we are doing a low carb Keto diet.

Gregory Kimball

July 1, 2015 at 10:17 AM

Not bad… I’m impressed!! I work for ATG and you did a good job with these. I didn’t think our rolls were $9 – unless you’re buying them on Amazon! Regardless, we just opened a store in our factory in Brattleboro, VT and, in addition to selling seconds (our roll seconds sell for $1 and our pizza seconds for $7), we have some exclusive sweet treats and Against The Grain merchandise. You can also, of course, watch our factory in action. So come on by the Against The Grain Factory Store located at 22 Browne Court #119, Brattleboro VT 05301.

-Gregory

Katarina

June 9, 2015 at 2:30 AM

Hello, Is there any other kind of flour instead of tapioca for these buns? I’m having trouble getting safe GF ingredients for a normal price here in Serbia and I’m stuck with 5kg of Schar flour/month (mix B or C) that I get from my doctor. I can buy corn starch or rice flour if that is an option Also, except basic additives such as baking soda, baking powder, fresh and dried yeast, I don’t have anything else in my kitchen (or in any store near) for making the dough rise. This is making my bread-like dough making a bit complicated and limiting my possibilities. Thanks for any advice and recommendation you can give! Best wishes, Katarina

Michele

August 19, 2015 at 9:57 PM

Tapioca flour is a very unique flour with unique qualities. Regular rice or corn flour won’t give the same results. Sweet rice flour (mochi rice flour) might be the closest to tapioca flour, but I’m not sure of the measurements for this. It would have to be an experiment in cooking. Good luck.

Aliciaspinnet

June 7, 2015 at 4:20 AM

On a slight tangent, but I made your tapioca/mozzarella wraps which I think have a similar recipe. I accidentally picked up a bag of grated cheddar instead of mozzarella, and I used a stand mixer instead of a food processor, but despite that they turned out great! They had a lovely flexible stretchy quality to them – a nice change from the usual dry crumbly gluten free breads. I must try this recipe at some point.

Nicole, I may try these tonight or tomorrow, since it looks like it is a “dump it all in one bowl and mix” recipe…that bowl being the food processor. That’s my kind of recipe.

My question is this: Your times/yield box in the recipe indicates that this makes 4 rolls. In the instructions, you say we should cut the dough into 6 pieces. I need to use these for burgers and sandwiches. Should I make 6 rolls to get bun size or will i need to cut the dough into just 4 pieces and then make a second batch to get enough?

Hi, Barbara, The yield was an error. Sorry about that! The recipe makes 6 rolls.

Barbara

June 5, 2015 at 2:02 PM

Thanks for your reply, Nicole. Six rolls is a very good thing!

I do have one more question: When it comes to oils, what is the best substitute for canola oil…in particular for this recipe? I can’t handle the smell or taste, so we simply do not buy or use it. If I need to purchase something new, the rolls will have to wait a few weeks to try. If I can use something I have on hand, I might get them done tonight. I have available: peanut oil, EV olive oil, almond oil, coconut oil, butter (salted and unsalted), and Spectrum shortening (the one you recommend, that works great in my flour tortillias). Would any of these work in place of the canola? I know my results might not be identical except to yours, and I am willing to take that chance.

I don’t make too many substitutions….sour cream in place of yogurt, and psyllium husk powder 1:1 for xanthan gum. For the latter, I know my results won’t always be as good as they are now (Devils food cake, cornbread, banana bread, flour tortillias, to name the main ones), but it is working well now, and much better than the flax-chia-psyllium blend I tried first! When xanthan gum makes me as sick or sicker than gluten itself, I have to take care of my health.

There was one other thing I learned last weekend as I was making banana bread (2 batches) and flour tortillias (4 batches). Taking a cue from “Bakes Bread”, I let the batter/dough sit at least half an hour before putting batter in the pan or rolling out dough. Even though I use superfine rice flour, there was still a grittiness in my tortillias previously. This time, none at all! None in the banana bread either! So I will be taking the time to do this with all recipes in the future!

Jenn

June 4, 2015 at 4:34 PM

Ok, so I am back. I did try it. Check the picture: I think it turned out decent! I had to let the food processor work the dough for about 10 minutes. It was getting thicker and thicker. I still found it too runny, but proceeded nevertheless. I left the dough in the freezer for about half an hour. If was still too runny to shape it nicely into disks, but managed best I could. However, I definitely over baked it. (Blame it on the kids, they kept me busy). Still, it turned out nice. For next time, i would use more salt (maybe even double the amount) and would try a quality tapioca (I used the one I had at home from Bulk Barn but was too excited to wait until I can get my hands on a quality version). I was surprised how gluey the inside was. Is it supposed to be like that? I put one in a plastic bag and next day it was still nice and soft to eat. Great job Nicole with this copy cat recipe!

Jenn

June 2, 2015 at 2:56 PM

I am really excited about this recipe. I give it a try tomorrow and let you know…

Mare Masterson

June 1, 2015 at 6:40 PM

Happy dancing…I can eat this! I had to ask doctor about tapioca starch/flour and got the OK! WOO HOO – you are saving me yet again, Nicole!

Jennifer S.

June 1, 2015 at 10:41 AM

holy crap – I’m gone for a month and now we’re doing 70 comments by 10amCT? wowsers! What about the tapioca starch from nuts.com? I have a ton and it seems ok to me.

Are you back to eating all the foods now, Jennifer? I’ve missed you! :-* And there are only 70 comments this early because this post originally was published 2 years ago! And yes, as I mentioned in the post, nuts.com tapioca flour is excellent. :)

Jennifer S.

June 1, 2015 at 1:47 PM

YES! tomorrow is my last day the whole30, It has helped me refocus on GF! I see the nuts.com piece now – for some reason my eyes just saw the other too. From vitacost – is it the vitacost brand? I know they sell a lot of Bob’s too on that site.

Also, Question about your pizza dough (commenting here because I can’t comment anywhere else): I followed your instructions to a “T” double and triple checking to make sure I was doing everything right, but when I baked it, the dough came out gummy on the inside and did not brown on top, even though I baked it for much longer than you suggested. Do you have any suggestions on what could be wrong?

gfshoestring

June 25, 2013 at 7:39 AM

Hi, there, first I would recommend you read this post about the secrets to baking gluten free bread. Second, it sounds like a problem with your flour blend. A blend too high in starch, like King Arthur Multi-Purpose GF Flour, Trader Joe’s all purpose GF flour, and Tom Sawyer GF Flour, will hardly rise if it rises at all, and will not brown. Nicole

Kathyrinne

June 26, 2013 at 1:09 AM

I made me own “better batter” blend according to your DIY blend and have had success with your banana bread recipe, muffins, and japanese milk bread just fine. The only thing I can think of is that I didn’t use a food processor (did it by hand) and also had to roll the dough out, then squish it back up and re-roll it a couple of times because it wouldn’t fit on the pan the first times i tried it. Do you think re-rolling it would have caused problems?

Sorry about so many questions. I am dying to figure out why this happened so I can finally delicious pizza again. <3

gfshoestring

June 26, 2013 at 7:38 AM

It shouldn’t matter that you didn’t use a food processor, but if you have one I’d try using a stand mixer. Most importantly, I would check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer, then, and be sure to measure your ingredients by weight. Good luck! Nicole

Kathyrinne

June 27, 2013 at 1:34 PM

Ok, I’ll try that! I’m also gonna try using a different brand of tapioca, as I’ve seen you’ve said that can really make a difference. Thanks so much for your help!

Paulette

June 23, 2013 at 5:27 AM

Hi Nicole, I’m a new fan. I only discovered your blog & books a month ago. Love your Brownies and Pie Crust. I tried your rolls. We don’t have a low moisture mozzarella in Oz. And the only tapioca starch I can access is Asian. The milk/tapioca/oil mix didn’t curdle at all. It was smooth right from the start. My dough was quite runny out of the freezer. I used the plastic wrap to “pipe” the dough into some mini spring form pans lined with baking paper. I cooked them for 10 mins longer than suggested. They were crispy on the outside. They didn’t fall in the middle at all, but they were very melted cheese in texture in the middle. Do you have any suggestions for reducing the level of moisture? Cheers

gfshoestring

June 25, 2013 at 7:41 AM

Another commenter on this post had an issue with runny dough, and she used Asian tapioca. It’s almost certainly a problem with your tapioca. They are far from created equal, and the ones in the Asian food store tend to be very low quality. I’m afraid you won’t have success unless you can get a high-quality tapioca starch, like from nuts.com or Authentic Foods. Nicole

I use Authentic Foods tapioca, and it still comes out runny –the original recipe and this one. I have to freeze it up to an hour, and lower the baking temp by 25 degrees for them not to be wet in the center. There’s definitely a trick to working with this dough, and I’ve had to modify a bit for it to work.

Kathyrinne

June 23, 2013 at 12:58 AM

I must say, I have been driving my husband crazy with the amount that I’ve been talking about your blog. And he’s been going even crazier with how much he’s liked what I’ve been making – all thanks to you! I just found your Blog last week and have already made a few things from your site. I’ve been gluten free for about 6 years now, but have only attempted a few recipes (french macarons being one of them, which miraculously turned out perfectly). I started off making the Japanese Milk Bread (first time ever making a yeast bread, gluten free or not). It was the best bread I have ever tasted. EVER. My grandpa has called me multiple times this week to tell me how much he loved it.

Today I made your banana bread and it was another success! I think tomorrow I might attempt these rolls. I keep trying to close my computer and clean my kitchen. But being in my kitchen, all I think about is your blog… And I get back online and drool over all of the yummies.

I am going to preorder your bread book as soon as I can convince my hubby that it is a worthy purchase. SO WORTHY!

Thanks for improving my life so much! Cheers!

Laura

June 21, 2013 at 3:47 PM

I am so grateful that you picked this bread to copy! My husband and I love Against the Grain, but they are so expensive! You are my new best friend! Can’t wait to try this! :o)

Laura S

June 21, 2013 at 10:49 AM

I used this recipe as an excuse (er, I mean reason) to replace the cheap food processor I bought when we first went gluten free. :-) Question, do you use the dough blade or the regular blade? I can’t wait to try these tonight!! :-)

gfshoestring

June 25, 2013 at 7:42 AM

As indicated in the recipe instructions, you use the steel blade. Enjoy your new food processor, Laura! Nicole

Michelle

June 20, 2013 at 8:47 PM

I hate to leave a bad review since I love you website and have your cookbook but this is the only recipe if yours that was a disaster. Are the ratios of flour to liquid correct? It seems to be way too much liquid I had a liquid mess and I have made your linked recipe above to the other “clone”. That recipe has far less liquid and only 1/4 cup less flour.

I so want this to work! Any suggestions?

gfshoestring

June 20, 2013 at 8:58 PM

Michelle, I understand how frustrating it can be when a recipe doesn’t work for you. However, the proportions are correct. I have made the recipe successfully at least 5 times myself (the last time being today, for my family’s dinner). The recipe will turn out when made as written. Of course it is impossible for me to know precisely where you have deviated from the recipe as written, since I can’t be there with you! But here are my suggestions: Be sure you are using a food processor and allowing it to work until the mixture is smooth. If you stop too soon, it will not be fully integrated, and the dough changes pretty significantly in character after it is processed properly. If you have extra liquid, most likely you did not process the mixture for long enough – or you did not simmer the milk before adding the tapioca. Be sure you are weighing your ingredients, and then placing the dough in the freezer before attempting to shape it. The tapioca starch will absorb a tremendous amount of liquid as the dough sits in the freezer. Nicole

Michelle

June 20, 2013 at 9:57 PM

Thank-you so much for your quick response! I will have to try again. I did measure everything. The only thing I can think of is that I used Asian tapioca starch. As soon as I added it to the liquid it remained liquid and never firmed up at all. I tried twice thinking i goofed the measurements the first time. Perhaps I needed to be patient and let the mixture cool. I did end up making the buns but had to add an additional 1.25 cups of tapioca starch which made for very dense buns.

I am off to try again with different tapioca starch!

Thank-you for all your recipes! I have a very well fed family thanks to you!

gfshoestring

June 21, 2013 at 8:26 AM

Oh Michelle I bet it’s your tapioca! Tapioca starch is one of those flours that varies significantly from one source to another. If you have ever heard someone complain about the metallic taste of tapioca, it’s the particular tapioca they are using. I’d stick with nuts.com tapioca or Authentic Foods. They’re both consistently good. I hope that helps! Nicole

Michelle

June 21, 2013 at 9:03 PM

I just ordered some tapioca online and can’t wait to make them again. Thank-you so much for all of your help,

StacyWZ

June 20, 2013 at 9:14 AM

Am I missing something? First visit here, which of your flour blends are you using for these rolls? Or can it be any of them except the one that doesn’t have xanthum gum?

gfshoestring

June 20, 2013 at 9:22 AM

The only flour is the tapioca starch/flour, Stacy. Everything is in the list of ingredients and instructions. Nicole

[…] of llapingachos again, I made my own gluten-free buns with is THIS recipe. I’m just beginning to dip my toes into GF baking and have had some major failures, […]

Cristie Kalish

June 19, 2013 at 11:53 AM

Oh you do LOVE US!!!!!!! I pay through the nose for there baguette’s (and appreciate that I can get them) but ouch it does hurt. With this recipe you so lovingly shared I am sure to save. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Happy happy joy joy dance going on here hehe.

Lisa

June 19, 2013 at 7:51 AM

I’m sorry for this question…I’m still getting used to the GF bread baking…are the finished rolls in the picture toasted after being baked? I’m thinking yes but if I’m wrong I’d like to ask how you toast them? (Oven temp.? I don’t want to make them for the first time and then burn them up/dry them out trying to make them toasty wonderful! *Nervous*) THANK YOU and I’m on pins and needles for the next book!

gfshoestring

June 20, 2013 at 9:23 AM

Hi, Lisa, they’re not toasted after being baked. These rolls are not typical of gluten free bread baking at all, as they’re made with only tapioca starch/flour. xoxo Nicole

Jamie

June 19, 2013 at 4:16 AM

I will be trying this recipe…Thank you for your awesome website

Mare Masterson

June 18, 2013 at 5:16 PM

I am new to your blog and am thrilled I found you. I have ordered your 2 books from Amazon. Bread is what brought me to you, so you know I will be getting the cookbook about bread! I have yet to bake bread, but you are giving me the courage to attempt it! If you were going to make bread for sandwiches for your family, which one would you make? Can I send you a cake recipe to see if you can make it gluten free? It is my mom’s chiffon cake recipe and I miss having it. I am not as adventurous as you are to try and fail at a baking recipe. I am really not a baker. I love to cook though. I only bake a few times a year.

gfshoestring

June 20, 2013 at 9:25 AM

Hi, Mare, I always recommend that readers begin with the White Sandwich Bread from my first book. It is really simple to make, and produces are very versatile loaf of bread. I’m afraid that I don’t accept recipes to convert to gluten free, but if you are using a commercial flour blend, you can try contacting the company for help converting your mom’s recipe. :) xoxo Nicole

GayLee Kilpatrick

June 18, 2013 at 3:53 PM

I need to avoid all dairy for my son. I am willing to try the almond milk as a substitute, but if I leave the cheese out entirely, will it affect the outcome? As in, should I add some tap flour back in or maybe more liquid?

Jennifer Sasse

June 18, 2013 at 10:43 PM

I’m not an expert here but I doubt that this would work without the cheese. It needs to texture, moisture, and fat content from it in order to work.

Jennifer Sasse

June 19, 2013 at 11:26 AM

I did just see that against the grain has a dairy free version of this roll! You may want to go and see what ingredients they use….

gfshoestring

June 20, 2013 at 9:25 AM

Thanks for jumping in, Jennifer!! xoxo Nicole

Tammy in Oregon

June 18, 2013 at 10:55 PM

How about using Daiya mozzarella (it’s dairy free) in place of real mozzarella and 1 cup of dairy free milk?

April

June 18, 2013 at 3:38 PM

Brazilian cheese bread! Nom. I love Against the Grain and bcb but I’ve never been able to get a recipe to work for me. I always end up with something too chewy or oily. This one is perfect though! Just like Against the Grain. Thank you!

gfshoestring

June 20, 2013 at 9:26 AM

It’s definitely a balance, April, especially with such a relatively simple recipe. Sometimes, the simplest recipes are the hardest to get just right! xoxo Nicole

Wendy in Texas

June 18, 2013 at 2:18 PM

This is great! We recently discovered Against the Grain pizza and baguettes and LOVE them, (although I had to practically mortgage my house to afford them at $11 for a tiny cheese pizza and $7 for 2 small baguettes, plus, they are VERY difficult to find in my part of Texas), but I KNEW you would be THE ONE to copycat them—YEA! I really look forward every day to the GFOAS email with the day’s new recipe—hope you keep them coming! (Maybe Against the Grain pizza dough?)

We still are having a very hard time finding decent GF bread, even decent bread RECIPES, and I’ve tried a lot of different ones, so you can imagine how happy I was to see you were writing a BREAD cookbook—thank you! I have your first 2 books and have preordered the bread one, and they have been lifesavers. (I am the GF problem-child, but my husband graciously chooses to eat only GF to support me, and even while he’s at work, he doesn’t eat gluten—40 years of marriage, and I am very blessed ;-)

Sorry for rambling, but I want you to know why I am so excited about your books. #1: You use a premade flour blend, which simplifies my life enormously, and I am using both BB and C4C, so your recipes are right up my alley. I have a “strange-texture-averse” palate, especially when it comes to familiar foods like bread and pasta, and your recipes are the most “normal” I have found and tasted since becoming GF.

#2: You use REAL ingredients: butter, sugar, oil, cheese, etc., and try to make everything as “normal” as possible-I appreciate that. We all have comfort foods we dream about making GF and your recipes very often fit the bill.

I am a former restaurant-owner/chef, and naturally, I love to cook and try new foods and recipes, but I have been despairing about ever enjoying (or making) good food again. Your recipes and your descriptions and photos have helped me get over the fear of yet another disappointing disaster (because of working with often unpredictable ingredients), and I want to tell you, you have helped tremendously. There is such a learning curve in the GF baking, I was ready to give up, so thank you for your recipes and your photos and all your hard work–you are my hero!

P.S. Our favorite recipe so far has been the carrot cake cupcakes—so good and so much like gluten ones—even enjoyed by non-GF family. I just made your ciabatta and a triple recipe of flour tortillas and we enjoyed them both. I really NEED that bread cookbook to get here! ;-) Thank you!

Wendy in Texas

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:32 PM

Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a detailed comment, Wendy. I am so glad you are feeling more hopeful (and your husband sounds like a true keeper :). Normal is my (sometimes lofty) goal, in all cases. I think it’s great if people want to be completely healthy, and what I bake for the blog is not designed with the goal of solving a meal problem that same day for my own family. It’s designed to return you to normal, give you your sea legs. And just wait until you get that bread book. Just wait! xoxo Nicole

kclark

June 18, 2013 at 1:21 PM

Hi my friend, I just took a small break from work to read your blog today. My family loves Against the Grain rolls too. I am very happy for this recipe! I also just pre-ordered the book. Woohoo. Can’t wait. Someone yelled at you? Really? They need to get a clue and lower their prices.

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:25 PM

Thanks, Kristi!! I had no idea you were an Against the Grain family, either. Oh, yes. I got a big slap on the wrist with that other copycat recipe. And that is precisely why I don’t accept products for review. If I review it, I bought it myself! xoxo Nicole

Lisa Stander Horel

June 18, 2013 at 1:12 PM

I have a pckg in the freezer – I’m rationing them because of the $$$$$$$. you are a genius. and you made me very happy. thanks!

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:23 PM

Really, friend? I don’t know why but I find that surprising. I didn’t realize you were an Against the Grain fan. I hadn’t ever tried it before the other day. See? Still many things I can learn about you, Lisa. xoxo Nicole

Lily S.

June 18, 2013 at 12:27 PM

Oh. My. Gosh. I am so excited about this. I paid the ridiculous price for those rolls several times because I loved them so much, and kept searching for a copycat recipe. Low and behold. Keep up the great, much appreciated work!!

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:23 PM

You were searching for a copycat recipe for these, Lily? I love writing copycat recipes. I should have a page on the blog for readers to request new copycats. It might help us both. :) xoxo Nicole

Donia Robinson

June 18, 2013 at 3:30 PM

You totally should! Though it would certainly be inviting a lot of work on yourself, wouldn’t it?

Holli Coaker Turner

June 18, 2013 at 12:18 PM

Awesome! I love their pizza crusts but cringe at $7.99 each! Could I use this for pizza crust dough?

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:22 PM

I haven’t looked into that, Holli, but probably. I can’t believe one crust is $7.99. I’m willing to bet it’s not a very big crust, either. ;) xoxo Nicole

Nicole, you are my GF hero for posting this and the other copycat Shakira style bread recipe from the company that shall not be named but starts with a “C.” Maybe if those companies stopped charging a million dollars for each loaf or mix, we wouldn’t need copy cats.

I’m grateful that you are an awesome copy cat maker. This one especially got my attention because you mentioned “burger buns.” We currently use Udi’s butts for our burgers. How sad is that?!?

I’m going out and buying some tapioca ASAP!

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:21 PM

Okay, Dana, I have to tell you how sad I am that I didn’t call these Shakira recipes on my own as I have a deep and abiding love for that Brazilian lady. And we tried Udi’s buns (nice intentional slip, btw) the other week, just to see, and my family didn’t love them but said that they “weren’t bad.” This is a family that eats all the bread from the forthcoming Bakes Bread book all the time, so it’s a good sign. But the price? No thanks. Be careful where you buy your tapioca, though! Bob’s tends to source from lots of different places, so you’ll unfortunately get inconsistent quality. Sometimes it will taste metallic, sometimes not. If you can, stick with nuts.com or Authentic Foods. xoxo Nicole

Is a food processor necessary? I have a Kitchen Aid mixer and a small electric ‘chopper’ (just a single blade). Will either of these do?

Tammy B

June 18, 2013 at 12:48 PM

My exact question… i have ingredients out and ready to go… then read through the recipe, and am hesitating. Also have a KA mixer and small electric chopper.

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:18 PM

You can try using a stand mixer (which I did once). You will have to beat the mixture with the paddle attachment for quite a while to get the right smooth texture. A handheld mixer will not work. A blender might work, too. Nicole

Jennifer Sasse

June 18, 2013 at 2:21 PM

I don’t use a food processor. I use this big magic bullet that kind of looks like and acts like a food processor. but you definitely need a machine that can do BOTH at the same time – I assume it’s sort of liking making biscuits.

islaymacdonaldprenticemulcahy

June 18, 2013 at 11:43 AM

Those rolls look so yummy! I can’t wait till I get the where-with-all to make them. I have a feeling that the will become my newim favorites. And I love that they only have tapioca flour in them.

I’m super new to Gluten-free cooking (less than a month) and I’m on a very tight budget. Because I am also allergic to potatoes and have to keep my intake of vitamin K low (on blood thinners), I cannnot used packed GF flour mixes. So I must make my own from scratch, substituting arrowroot, cornstarch, or tapioca for the potato. Also, I don’t tolerate guar or Xanthan gum and must substitute for that as well.

Do you have recipes for flour mixes that are appropriate for different uses, such as breads, cakes, pastas, and coatings?

I will definitely by your books – all of them, if I can afford it!

Thanks for the great recipes, all your hard work and for sharing. I appreciate it.

Oh my goodness! I adore these rolls! Thank you, thank you for developing a CC recipe! Maybe you can try your hand at their french bread, next? ;)

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:13 PM

Hey, Kaity, I will definitely work on a technique for the french bread (and compare the ingredients, although I suspect the dough is very similar). xoxo Nicole

Elaine Woodward

June 18, 2013 at 10:39 AM

can I use almond milk, allergic to cow milk

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:12 PM

I haven’t tested this recipe with any substitutions, Elaine, so you’ll have to experiment. You will probably have more trouble replacing the cheese than the milk, though. Nicole

Jennifer Sasse

June 18, 2013 at 10:30 AM

I have pre-ordered the book and have to stop myself thinking about the fact that it will be the fall before I get it – I want it so badly now!!! But with recipes like this how can I complain? these rolls look awesome! just as a comparison (maybe I missed it), how much did it cost you to make the rolls? I have never heard of against the grain breads….. interesting … so thanks for posting this – did I say they look really really good? :) Also, I wanted to let you know I made the sesame chicken again and my daughter said, “I wish I could just have my plate full of the sesame chicken and nothing else.” SO YUMMY!

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:11 PM

Hey, Jennifer, I didn’t price it out, actually, although I did think about it. It can’t be too expensive, though, as tapioca starch/flour isn’t too pricey, and the rest of the ingredients are pretty basic. I would say that good cheese is the only thing that might bulk up the price a wee bit. And your daughter clearly has good taste! xoxo Nicole

WTFPinterest.com

June 18, 2013 at 9:59 AM

I want to pre-order your book (yay!), but would you rather I wait until closer to the release date? A lot of authors prefer to get orders/pre-orders during certain weeks to try to get the book higher on the NYT Bestseller list, so wondering if you give a poop as to when people pre-order. Can’t wait to bake from it, Nicole! Congrats on all your hard work coming to fruition!

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:10 PM

Allison, thanks so much for asking. You’re the best! First, I have no illusions of making any NYT Bestseller list, but to answering your question, all preorders are very helpful for a few reasons: they help lower the price on amazon; they cue the publisher to order a larger first printing so it isn’t ever out of stock (which happens often early in publication); and they all are counted as being ordered on the date of publication for the purpose of bestseller lists. I seriously can’t wait for you to have in your hands, so preorder away! xoxo Nicole

WTFPinterest.com

June 19, 2013 at 10:25 AM

Hooray! Pre-ordering now. So excited for you and cannot wait to cook from this book! P.S. Your books DESERVE to be on the bestseller list! OXO

AmandaM

June 18, 2013 at 9:13 AM

This may be a silly question, but did you use whole milk or a lower fat content?

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:08 PM

Hi, Amanda, Not a silly question at all. I did not specify a milk fat content, but I used 2% milk. Whole milk would be even better. :) xoxo Nicole

Amanda

June 18, 2013 at 8:58 AM

Can you use nut milks? Coconut oil? And vegan cheese (Daiya) instead?

Elizabeth kralt

June 18, 2013 at 1:27 PM

I have the same question regarding rice milk and non dairy cheese? Also wondered if I could use egg replacer instead of the eggs?

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:06 PM

I haven’t tested this recipe with any substitutions, Amanda and Elizabeth. You’ll have to experiment. I’m sure the nut milks will be fine (rice milk tends to have little or no fat or protein, which is more like water than milk in recipes). Nondairy cheese and egg replacer will likely be much more difficult. Nicole

Joanne Seamans

June 7, 2015 at 1:42 PM

Can another oil be used, olive or coconut? I do not use canola oil. Thanks.

Donia Robinson

June 18, 2013 at 8:49 AM

Ah, I just clicked on that recipe and saw you removed all references to the company name. To me, it shows that the company is more interested in profit than of being of any service to the GF community. I am SO happy you are proudly, unabashedly representing and supporting the GF community. We need more of you, and more of a spirit of unity in our product providers. Because hey, we all have cause to buy GF products at one point or another -gasp – even you! And especially people just starting on this journey. You begin to think you’re doomed to a second-rate life, in low quality or exorbitant price.

Thanks for proving the C-company wrong.

Debbie Wood

June 18, 2013 at 1:59 PM

Can this same recipe be used for their baguettes??

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:15 PM

Probably, Debbie. I haven’t looked into that product yet, though.

gfshoestring

June 18, 2013 at 2:15 PM

Yup, I removed all references (with a flourish, as I couldn’t resist), Donia. They made a point of saying that they had been “serving” the gluten free community for many years, but I’m not sure I see the sacrifice in what they’re doing. It’s a business. Absolutely we all need to be able to buy some GF products once in a while – and the more there are on the market, the lower the price and the higher the quality will have to be. We have to vote with our wallets, sister. xoxo Nicole